Canon Debuts New Flagship Speedlite, First Macro for Mirrorless System

Canon drew back the curtain on a new flagship flash, the first ever macro lens for its M-series mirrorless cameras and a new PowerShot point-and-shoot.

The EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens is not only the first in the company’s mirrorless lineup, it also sports two built-in LEDs that wrap around the front lens element. They can be turned simultaneously or individually and you’ll have the option to adjust their intensity between “bright” and “dim.” According to Canon, this is also the first interchangeable autofocus macro lens that can autofocus to infinity.

The lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 45mm and a magnification of 1.2. It using a stepping for quiet autofocus and image stabilization. You’ll be able to manually override AF to make your own manual tweaks and can focus on objects up to 0.3 feet from the lens.

The Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT is the company’s flagship flash, offering speedier continuous firing times than its predecessor. You’ll enjoy a 1.1 to 1.5 times faster continuous flash shooting with AA batteries and up to 2 times faster when adding the new Compact Battery Pack (CP-E4N, sold separately).

The zoom flash head covers a focal length range of 20–200mm with maximum guide number of 197 ft. at ISO 100. It supports radio and optical wireless control along with control of up to five groups of compatible Canon Speedlites. The body is dust and water resistant and features a built-in bounce adapter.

The flash will work with several new accessories including the SCF-E3 hard-type color filter set, a soft case and the CP-E4N battery pack.

If you’re in the market for a tiny point-and-shoot, the new PowerShot SX620 HS packs a 25x optical zoom and a 20-megapixel CMOS sensor. It has built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, image stabilization, Full HD video recording and a 3-inch display. It will be sold in black, red and silver and is available now for $280.

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